Canceling machine



Dec. l1, 1934. E. PERSSQN 1,983,921

CANCELING MACHINE Filed April 2l, 1933 :intenter Z1 T1752@ PerssonPatented Dec. 11, 1934 vUNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE y 1,983,921 OANCELING MACHINE Ernst Persson, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner toInternational Postal Supply Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation ofNew York Application April 21, A1933,` Serial No. 667,272

The present invention pertains to canceling ma-l chines such as areAemployed to mark or cancel letters, checks,` andsimilar matter.

Specifically, the invention relates to trip mechanism designed to permiteffective engagement of various elements making up the trip being ratherexpensive. In the present invention the trip is simplified by theemployment of Yfew parts and these are easily assembled, inexpensive,and very effective to cause proper operation of the clutch.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section and partly broken away,illustrating the normal position of the trip and the manner in which itis attached to a canceling machine;

Fig. 2 is also a front elevation of the device, the parts being shown intheir respective positions when the trip is first actuated by contactwith the edge of a letter;

Fig. 3 is similar to Figs. l and 2, except that the parts are moved toother positions and the edge of the letter has passed the trip;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the mechanism, partly in section, taken on line6 6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the trip.

Referring to the drawing, a bracket 10 is adjustably mounted on studs 11projecting from the machine proper (not shown) and held thereon by setscrews 12. Integral with the bracket is a support 13 to which is securedguide plate 14, the forward portion of which is inclined and the rearportion of which is horizontal. The bracket also forms a journal for aconstantly rotating shaft 15 on which is freely mounted printing roll16, the latter being normally engageable with a stop member to permitrelative rotation between the roll and the shaft.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, there is secured to shaft 15 a metal ring 17,the securing means comprising a pin 18 restrained to rotate With theshaft. Pin 18 is disposed in slot 19 in the shaft and is capable oflimited axial movement with respect to the shaft. The metal ring 17 ispressed into contact with washer 2l on'the printing roll by means of ashort plunger 22 and spring 23, the compression yof the latter beingregulated by a screw 24 threaded into the end of shaft 15. Thefrictional engagement between ring 17 and washer 21v is such that roll16 rotates with shaft 15, except when the stop device holds the rollagainst rotation, at which time the ring will slip relatively to thewasher, permitting the shaft to rotate with respect to theproll. t

The stop device consists of a pin '25 or similar abutment on theprintingroll and a flat bell crank lever 26 pivoted at 2,7 to frame 10and serving as a stop pieceto engagevpin 25.` Lever 26 is normallypulled into engagingrelationwith pin 25 by spring 28 connected at oneend to the lever and at its other end to support 13. Pin 29 acts as astop to limit the movement of the lever about its fulcrum.

Fulcrumed at 31 on arm 32 of bell crank 26 is a trip lever or feeler 33having a depending finger 34 at one end thereof. Finger 34 is disposedangularly to lever 33 and has a relatively wide and fiat face, thebottom edge of which is rounded. This face is normally held in avertical position, as indicated in Fig. 1, in the path of letters orother matter 35 fed to the printing roll by feed rolls 36, 36' journaledin a part of the machine. The means for sustaining linger 34 in thisvertical position comprises spring 37, connected to ear 38 on arm 32 andto the trip lever, and pin 39 on arm 32 against which a lug 41 on thetrip lever abuts to limit its swinging movement.

In the operation of the mechanism, assuming shaft 15 to be constantlyrotating and the parts to be in the positions indicated in Fig. 1,wherein bell crank 26 engages pin 25 toprevent rotation of the printingroll, letter 35 is advanced horizontally by the feed rolls to engagelinger 34. Since the letter strikes finger 34 normally thereto, the triplever and bell crank are swung counterclockwise about fulcrum 27, thuslifting the bell crank out of engagement with pin 25, as shown in Fig.2. The printing roll is now free to rotate with friction ring 17 onshaft 15.

As the letter advances, its edge slides under the rounded edge of linger34. Spring 37 is weaker than spring 28 and, as the letter slides underthe feeler finger, the trip lever is rocked in a clockwise -directionwith respect to the bell crank and the latter returned to its normalposition by spring 28. These relative positions are illustrated in Fig.3. Finger 34 offers little resistance to the passage of the letter whichcontinues its passage between printing roll 16 and impression roll 16.

When roll 16 has completed a revolution, pin 25 will engage bell crank26 and prevent further rotation of the printing roll. The letter havingpassed between rolls 16, 16', the pressure thereof against trip lever 33having been removed, finger 34 is returned by spring 37 to the positionshown in Fig. 1. y L

From the Vforegoing description ofilthe trip release, it will beapparent that the device is extremely simple in construction, the costof its manufacture reduced to a minimum, and its operation positive. Thebell crank and trip lever` are relatively simple stampings which requirelittle machiningV and, with the two springs, form the complete releaseunit. v

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred formthereof,but it is intended that such modifications as tend to improve orfurther simplify the device be included in the scope of the appendedclaims. Y

What is claimed iszi 1. A cancelingfmachine of the class describedwherein a constantly rotating shaft is impositively connected to aprinting member; an abutment on said member; a bell crank leverfulcrumed on the machine, one arm of said bell crank normally serving asa stop for said abutment; a feeler lever fulcrumed on the other arm 0fsaid bell crank, said feeler lever having a finger portion normallydisposed forwardly of its fulcrum and the printing member in the path ofmatter passing to said printing member and arranged to rock said bellcrank out of engagement with said abutment when said finger portion ismoved by said matter; and means for returning said bell crank to itsnormal position after the forward edge of said matter has passed saidnger portion,

2. A canceling machine of the class described wherein aLconstantlyrotating shaft is impositively connected to a printing member; anabutment on said member; a bell cranklever fulcrumed on the machine, onearm of said bell crank normally serving as a stop for said abutment; afeeler lever fulcrumed on the other arm of said bell crank, said feelerlever having a finger portion normally disposed forwardly of its fulcrumand the printing member in the path of matter passing to said printingmember and arranged to rock said bell crank out of engagement with saidabutment when said finger portion is moved by said matter; a relativelystrong springY connecting said bell crank to the frame of the machinefor returning the bell crank to normal

